


buying stars

by firetruck



Category: Free!
Genre: F/M, Gen, gou is mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-11
Updated: 2014-09-11
Packaged: 2018-02-17 00:24:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2290157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firetruck/pseuds/firetruck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>he never stopped loving her, and she never forgot</p>
            </blockquote>





	buying stars

**Author's Note:**

> yes, i watched The Guilt Trip on my 11 hr flight

“I don’t think this is such a good idea.” 

There was no response from Haru, who was driving in case Makoto chickened out and threw up in the car. 

“N-No, really. I mean, how did you even find her? It’s been years..” 

“You see, Makoto, there’s this thing called the Internet,” Haru began drily. 

“How do you even know its her? I mean, it could be someone else with the same name working at the same company—“ 

“Please shut up.” 

“Okay. Right, sorry.” 

Makoto shifted in the passenger seat and wiped his sweaty palms on his pants, fixing his gaze on the trees flying past through the window. In high school, Makoto had dated a girl name Matsuoka Gou. She was the loveliest girl he knew, and he would’ve proposed, but she said she wasn’t ready for anything that serious. After his senior year, he moved, but he never forgot her. He knew it was silly, but even if he was still a highschooler, he was certain he loved her. And he hadn’t stopped doing so—even to this day. 

“We’re almost there.” 

Haru’s impassive voice reached Makoto’s ears and the latter jumped in his seat, hitting his head against the roof of the car. He suppressed a suffering groan. 

“Right! Okay, I got this. Are you sure this is the right address?”  

“For the tenth time, yes,” Haru sighed. 

“Do you think she’s married by now?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“Do you….do you think she still loves me?

“…I don’t know. Why don’t you ask her yourself?” 

“Huh?” 

“We’re here.” 

Haru parked beside a house that looked like it had popped out from a magazine. The lawn was pristine, and assorted flora decorated the stone path leading to two grand double doors that were so tall even Makoto appeared to shrink beside them. 

“Oh no. No, I cannot do this.” 

“Makoto, stop it. You’ll be fine.” 

“Please come with me.” 

He got out of the car reluctantly and shuffled to the front doors with Makoto trailing nervously behind him, as if trying to hide behind his friend. Haru gestured to the doorbell and Makoto paled. 

“Makoto.” 

He pushed the button. 

“Oh, look, no reply! H-Ha, I guess she’s not home! Let’s go back now, Haru.”

Haru gave him a look. 

He pushed the button again. 

“Coming! One second—where the hell did this vase come from-?” 

The door swung open and Makoto’s chest felt like it was about to burst and his stomach was doing complicated flips inside of him and oh god—he was going to throw up. He was going to throw up right in front of the girl—no, woman now—he loved and it would be too embarrassing and—oh, wait. 

“Oh. Oh, it’s not—You—..You’re not Gou,” was all he could say to the man who opened the door. 

“And who the hell might you guys be? We’re not interested in whatever you’re selling.” 

“A-Actually, we’re not selling anything? Um, I..I’m looking for a Matsuoka Gou…?”

The redhead in the doorway seemed to reel back for a second before he composed himself and shot a feeble glare at the two men on his porch. 

“What about her?” 

“I used to be her friend. A really close friend. In high school. I think we’re still friends. I mean, I hope we are?” 

“Well, my sister died five years ago, so you’re outta luck,” the man said. 

“What?”

“I’m Matsuoka Rin. Her older brother. Gou died five years ago. I don’t want to have to say it again. It still burns, okay?” 

“I—Oh god. Oh my god, Haru. This—is not real.” 

“I think you need to sit down.” 

Rin clicked his tongue and opened the door a bit wider. 

“I guess you guys can come inside for a little bit.” 

Haru ushered Makoto inside and took a seat on the couch. Noticing the row of photos on top of the fireplace, Makoto stood up shakily and moved towards it. He picked up a photo and felt a lump in his throat—there she was. She was so beautiful, and it appeared she had gotten married after all. He was good-looking, Makoto would admit. Freckles splattered across his face and honey eyes that beamed out from the photo (not to mention his gravity-defying phoenix hair), there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that she had married someone who would love her for as long as she lived. 

“So who are you again?” 

Rin reappeared with three sports drinks and tossed them to Haru and Makoto. 

“That’s my friend, Haru. I’m Gou’s friend from high school—we actually dated for quite awhile,” he admitted. 

Rin narrowed his eyes at Makoto. 

“I see.” 

“Does….I mean, did..did she ever talk about me? Anything at all.” 

“If she did, it wasn’t to us,” Rin shrugged. 

Makoto’s face fell, and Haru glanced up from his drink as the front door burst open and another voice joined. 

“What’s up with all this junk mail and stuff, Uncle Rin? I thought you unsubscribed to those magazines mom liked—Oh, sorry. I didn’t know you had guests over…?”

The sports drink in Makoto’s hand almost exploded as his heart rate sped up to an unhealthy level. Standing in front of them and holding a stack of mail and magazines was a teenage boy with her eyes, and he was absolutely floored. 

Rin grabbed the boy and threw an arm around his shoulders with a grin. 

“Nah, I couldn’t do that. Your mom loved those magazines, kiddo. Anyways, these are old friends of hers, apparently. Go on, introduce yourself.” 

With a grin that nearly split his face, the boy dropped the mail on the coffee table and turned to Haru and Makoto. 

“It’s great to meet you! Matsuoka Gou is my mom. I’m Matsuoka Makoto—her son. But you can just call me Makoto.” 

They all shook hands, exchanged contact information, and it wasn’t long before Haru and Makoto left the Matsuoka residence and settled back down into their car. 

“I guess that answered your question.” Haru slid his gaze to Makoto for a second before focusing on the road again. “She still remembers you. And she probably still loved you for a long time.” 

“Yeah.” 

They drove in silence for awhile before Makoto spoke up again.

“Do you think we could visit again sometime?” 

Haru drove onto the highway. The night sky was clear, and the stars dotted the blanket above them. The lights on the highway lighted up, and the horn of a nearby boat sounded in the night. 

“Okay.” 

Makoto was already asleep.


End file.
